Relation of smoking and endothelial dysfunction markers in systemic hypertension

Aim. Assessment of the markers levels of endothelial dysfunction (ED): stable metabolites of nitric oxide (NOx), endothelin-1 (E1), homocysteine (HC), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in blood plasma of smoker and nonsmoker patients with arterial hypertension (AH) of low and moderate risk, not taking antihypertension therapy regularly.

Material and methods. Totally, 124 AH patients included, 45 males and 79 females, mean age 51,4±6,5 y.o., mean AH duration 7,9±7,3 y. Controls included 35 healthy volunteers (20 males, 15 females). Concentration of NO_x in plasma was measured with spectrophotometry, and of vWF, HC, E1 and tPA — with immune enzyme assay.

Results. To evaluate the relation of smoking and ED markers levels, AH patients and controls were selected to subgroups according to smoking status: smoker (35,5%) and non-smoker (64,5%) AH patients; smoker (38%) and non-smoker (62%) controls. In smoker AH patients comparing to non-smoking there were significantly higher concentrations of NO_x — 48,2±18,8 mcM/L and 40,3±21,2 mcM/L, respectively (р<0,05), E1 — 1,2±0,16 and 0,6±0,2 fM/L, resp. (р<0,05), HC — 25,7±6,04 and 16,2±6,5 mcM/L, resp. (р<0,05), vWF — 1,39±0,7 and 1,1±0,6 mg/dL, resp (р<0,05) and tPA — 13,05±6,2 and 8,5±6,2 mcM/L, resp. (р<0,05). There was correlation in the AH group, of NOx concentration and smoking (r=0,46, р<0,05), and tobacco smoking duration (r=0,83, р<0,05). Also, there were positive correlations of HC and smoking (r=0,4, p<0,05). In control group smokers had higher HC — 20,7±5,3 and 17,2±4,7 mcM/L, resp. (р<0,05), vWF — 1,3±0,8 and 0,8±0,6 mg/dL, resp. (р<0,05) and tPA — 11,1±6,5 and 6,6±5,2 mcM/L, resp. (р<0,05). There were no significant changes in NO_x and E1.

Conclusion. In smokers of both AH and control groups the levels of HC, vWF and tPA were significantly higher in comparison with nonsmokers. In smoker AH patients the mean concentrations of NO_x and E1 are higher than in non-smoker patients. Levels of ED are related with not only the fact of smoking itself (р<0,05), but smoking duration (р<0,05).

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